Prey of the Chameleon
by SistaHavanaBrown
Summary: Daniel Jackson is the victim of an alien's obsession. Can SG-1 save him before it's too late? Final chapter up!
1. Daniel Jackson, mine always and forever

Author's note: This was my first fic I wrote a while ago and when I published it, a few people emailed me about why this story didn't get many reviews. I was told my characterization of Jack was way off and I apologize for that. I wanted to do something different. You try and some ideas don't work. Also, I was told Daniel is more believable in this story as the victim of Imika's twisted obsession. I thank Miss Kleola and Gatergirl for their help with revising this story. At first I was reluctant about reposting this and hopefully all you readers out there will enjoy it better.  
  
Disclaimer: SG characters aren't mine. Wish they were, but Imika and Rina belong to me.  
  
Category: Drama, Angst and Action Adventure  
  
Rating: PG-13 for moderate violence and sexual situations  
  
Prey of the Chameleon   
  
By   
  
SistaHavanaBrown  
  
Chapter 1: Daniel Jackson...mine, always and forever  
  
****************************************  
  
"It'll get dark soon." Daniel said to his friends.  
  
From what seemed like hours, they sojourned through the forest on planet P49-865.  
  
Jack kept a secure hand on the gun strapped on his shoulder. He spotted the red sun peeking through leaves of emerald--colored trees that towered above.  
  
"Yep," Jack replied. "We're outta here kids. I don't see anything spectacular going on here."  
  
"Indeed," Teal'c agreed, walking alongside Daniel, "I don't see any signs of life either."  
  
Sam's eyes, the color of a clear blue summer sky, scanned the forest. She hoped to find something before darkness arrived. And then her eyes halted at something moving, something green. It stopped, as if to sense Sam had been aware of its presence.  
  
"Sam," Daniel said, catching up and stopped beside her. "What's wrong?"  
  
She shook her head. "I don't know."  
  
Jack's brows furrowed, curious about what spooked Sam all of a sudden.  
  
"Carter?"  
  
"Well, Sir, I thought I saw something moving in the trees. It looked green, just like the trees and then it disappeared."   
  
Jack, Daniel and Teal'c searched for what Sam witnessed. The Colonel desperately wanted to find this thing, wanting to believe Sam-the woman he loved. To no avail, all they saw were endless trees.   
  
Embarrassed, Sam chuckled. "Maybe I'm just tired. We've been here most of the day."  
  
Jack noticed she was embarrassed. He didn't want her to feel that way and smiled a little.  
  
"It happens. All right, we're going home."  
  
Sam nodded, shrugging off what she thought she saw and trailed behind the team.  
  
They headed back to the stargate. Quickly, Sam caught up with O'Neill. They were going back to the base and then she would go home. But she grew tired of going home to an empty house, wishing for company--Jack's company. Everyday he occupied her thoughts. Even when she was busy, Jack knocked at the door of her mind. And she never hesitated to welcome him inside.  
  
Something jarred Sam from her fantasies of Jack. Though she heard the trees rustling behind her, it all happened so fast. It was like she had been slapped by a hurricane force wind and tossed several feet into the grass. Dazed, she looked up and managed to glimpse the others thrown like puppets by something tall and green. Sam could only watch in horror at the alien as it whisked Daniel in its grasp and disappeared into the forest.  
  
**************************************************  
  
Daniel's powder blue eyes fluttered open. His mind told him he was back at the base in the infirmary. But when everything cleared, his eyes showed him a different place. He lay in what looked like a cave. It would have been pitch dark and a relieved Daniel Jackson welcomed the moonlight that befriended him in the darkness. A shiver rippled through his body from the chill of night. His stomach rolled with nausea from a stench like one would smell inside a turtle tank.  
  
What is this?  
  
He started up from the ground and hesitated, wincing from the throbbing headache. He proceeded again, slowly this time. Daniel looked around. It appeared he was alone.  
  
Jack? Teal'c? Sam...  
  
Daniel, realizing his gun was missing, stiffened when he saw another light--candlelight that grew brighter as is it inched closer. His heart leaped at the sound of footsteps. They slivered behind him, closing in.   
  
The thing that took me out of the forest, it has to be...  
  
Daniel spun around. The terror in his wide eyes was illuminated by fire blazing on a torch--like stick held by something hulking over him--the reptilian creature.  
  
******************************************************  
  
General Hammond met the SG-1 team inside the gate room. He watched them as they strode down the ramp and noticed the team looked disheveled and troubled. He also noticed something else.  
  
"What happened? Where's Dr. Jackson?"  
  
Dirt mixed with black and blue bruises had blemished Sam's beautiful face.  
  
"Sir, Daniel was kidnapped."  
  
Hammond frowned. "Kidnapped? By who?"  
  
Trembling, Sam answered, "Some--alien. We searched for him but it's dark now. We'll search again in the morning."  
  
Disturbed by the news, Hammond stared at the gate and hoped in the morning Daniel would be found.  
  
****************************************************  
  
Daniel huddled in a corner of the limestone cave. He wanted to be as far away as possible from the alien who placed the torch inside a deep hole on the wall.   
  
The alien turned around and watched the shivering Archaelogist.  
  
Repulsed, Daniel stared back at the alien whose color changed from green to a sickly pale gray. He wondered what species it belonged to, thinking it looked very strange. Tendrils flowed from its head like cornrowed braids. Its cat-shaped jade eyes carefully watched every move he made. Every moment or so, nostrils of its human-like small nose flared above thick lips. Daniel studied reptilian scales on the alien's slimy skeletal body and more covered the triangular shaped face. Its hands-five fingers were long, slender talons. So were the feet.  
  
The alien slithered closer.  
  
Frightened, Daniel pushed himself deeper into the corner. "Why am I here?"  
  
The alien stopped, tilted its head to the left as if to understand, but it did.  
  
"I need you here," It replied in a croaky feminine voice.  
  
"You're a-a--,"  
  
Its thick lips parted a little and smiled. "Yes, I'm female. I am Imiiiika."  
  
Trying to remain calm and careful to irritate her, Daniel raised his brows. Politely, he said, "Imika. Pretty name."  
  
"I'm glad you like it," she remarked sensuously.  
  
Her flirty tone alarmed him, heightening his fears of why she kidnapped him. He tried to shrug it off, thinking it had to be another reason.  
  
"Listen," Daniel said, "I still don't understand why you *want* me here."  
  
Imika hunched over him. "What is...Youuur name?" She purred.  
  
"Uh...Daniel."  
  
"Daaaniel." She purred again and smiled.  
  
Curious, Daniel asked, "Are there any others? Like you?"  
  
"I'm alone here. My people were destroyed by the Goa'uuulds."  
  
"How did you manage to get away from them?"  
  
"I hid in this cave."  
  
Daniel had a hard time believing her story. Resting his head against the wall, he questioned, "Well, if you're able to hide, which I've seen you do very well in the forest, like a chameleon, though I'm sure you have no clue as to what that is, wouldn't it be difficult for the Goa'ulds to find your people?"  
  
She snapped, "Believe what I tell you, human!"  
  
"Okay," Daniel said meekly. "I believe you. So you're alone. You want company, and I'm it."  
  
Imika whispered, "I saw you with the others. I did not want the female or the other two males...I wanted you."   
  
This wasn't the first time an alien seduced him. He would never forget Hathor's evil charms and now it was happening again. He had to think of a way out...somehow.  
  
Daniel replied carefully, "We can talk. I'll stay for a while, but..."  
  
She shook her head. The tendrils bounced around. "You belong to me now."  
  
Imika's taloned hands reached for his face, touching it.  
  
Daniel flinched.  
  
"Don't be afraid." Her fingertips traced along his lips. "I need you."  
  
Keeping himself from being sick, Daniel turned his face away from her. He swallowed a few times. "Imika, if you want me to stay then I need to rest. I'm tired."  
  
"All right. Youuuu rest."  
  
Relieved, Daniel sighed silently when she had left him alone.   
  
**************************************************  
  
Daniel pretended he was sleeping and then he opened his eyes. She left where he laid and had gone to another part of the cave. There was no way he could stay there. He had to do something to escape and find the stargate. Carefully and quietly, Daniel stood from the corner and eased down a path that led to the entrance. He spotted the moonlight seeping inside.   
  
Not far now. A little more...  
  
Suddenly, scaled arms head locked him from behind. He choked while being dragged and tossed back into the cave.   
  
Daniel leaped onto his feet and tightened his fist, hoping a few punches would do, but her incredible strength overwhelmed him. Daniel was thrown toward the wall. He slammed against it. The blow dazed him as he slid to the ground. Trembling, he saw the rage on her face as she raced toward him.   
  
No, this can't be happening. Help me!  
  
He watched in utter horror as she straddled him and pinned his arms down. Daniel struggled and again, her strength was too much for him to fight against. He surrendered, screaming silently as her lips neared his. Her breath reeked of the turtle tank stench he smelled earlier.  
  
Outside the cave was nothing but a barren forest world where no one could hear his agonizing screams.  
  
*******************************************************  
  
Before dawn, a disoriented Daniel had no concept of time. His glasses lay on the ground, twisted with shattered lenses. In shock and naked, he shivered in the corner. Dried blood left a sticky trail in the corner of his mouth. He coughed and spit up more blood that oozed from his trembling lips. He tried to scream, but Imika would only abuse him again. Silently, he cried...  
  
Help me.  
  
*******************************************************  
  
AN: Let me know what you think of this revised version and I'll repost the next chapter. Please, please review. I'm begging you! 


	2. The Search

A note from Havana: Thank you so much for the reviews! My muse needed a confidence boost and your kind reviews helped a lot. Hope you like the revised second chapter and keep the reviews coming, even constructive feedback. Because believe me, it helps me write better for all of you to enjoy. Thanks again to Miss Kleola and Gatergirl for your encouragement!  
  
Disclaimer: SG characters aren't mine. Wish they were, but Imika and Rina belong to me.  
  
Category: Drama, Angst and Action Adventure  
  
Rating: PG-13 for moderate violence and psychological trauma  
  
Chapter 2: The Search  
  
**********************  
  
Jack O'Neill tossed and turned most of the night. And though he didn't get much sleep, his concern about his friend kept him alert. Horrified to think he was stuck on P49-865 with some grotesque thing or even worse, dead. He wondered why it kidnapped Daniel and let them go? So many questions tormented his mind as she headed for the gate room in his SG fatigues. The door to the gate room swooshed open and he entered, joining his team. As they sloped up the ramp, Jack didn't know how to pray but he gave it shot. It was a short silent prayer, hoping he would see Daniel again, and if they found him, he would make sure this alien wished it had never kidnapped his best friend.  
  
*********************************************************  
  
SG-1 disembarked from the blue light of the ring and back onto the isolated planet.   
  
Jack squinted while looking around. He tried desperately to ignore the discouragement creeping into his mind, especially after the search yesterday that was postponed after sunset. The Colonel continued his personal search around the forest--an endless forest. He shook his head. "Damn, he can be anywhere."  
  
A stoic Teal'c stared at him, but the concern in his voice told a different story.  
  
"O'Neill, we will find Daniel Jackson."  
  
Convincing herself he would be found, Sam added, "He has to be here."  
  
They began their search under the stifling heat. Sam took off her emerald--green cap and wiped beads of sweat from under limp wisps of her short blonde hair. Even when they embarked into the forest, they found little relief from the blazing sun.  
  
  
  
The Jaffa stopped short in his tracks.  
  
"Teal'c?" Jack asked always alert when his Jaffa friend reacted like that, which meant trouble lurked somewhere. "What is it?"  
  
Tea'lc raised a brow. "I thought I heard something." He heard it again, leaves rustling behind one of the trees. He swung around, whirling his staff weapon like the skilled Jaffa he was and pointed it at the tree. "Who are you?" He demanded to whatever hid behind the tree.  
  
Jack and Sam joined with Teal'c, aiming their guns.   
  
O'Neill glared at the tree, expecting the alien to slither out and then he would fire. But then he thought, no, that wouldn't be smart. The alien knew where Daniel was and it had to be alive for them to know. His eyes widened, surprised to someone else step cautiously from behind the tree.  
  
"Please," the woman said, raising her hands in the air. "Don't kill me."  
  
They stared at the tall woman with long raven hair. She was dressed in what appeared to them as a black cadet-style uniform. The top looked like a mini dress over pants, which were tucked inside black leather boots. The only contrast from her black attire was her pale skin and aquamarine eyes.  
  
SG-1 ignored her pleasant soft voice and refused to stand down. She inched toward them.  
  
Jack eyed her suspiciously. "All right, stay where you are."  
  
The frightened woman obeyed O'Neill's demands and didn't take another step. "I won't hurt you."  
  
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" he asked sternly.  
  
"I came through the ring that brought me here. I'm Rina from Deneb, the world where I live. I'm here because there's something I need to find."  
  
Curious, Sam's eyes closed a little. "What?"  
  
Rina's arms were tired, but she continued to hold them up. "I believe it is the reason why you're here. Something you saw in the forest. It deceives and you think it is a tree or the grass." Rina paused, reluctant because they were strangers and she wanted to be the one to find what she was there for. But they were holding weapons at her. She had to tell them more. "It is Kar'tuc. They are a lot like the Goa'ulds-evil, dangerous. They tried to invade our planet. Fortunately we were able to stop them and imprison them. But one escaped. It is a female, Imika. And that's why I'm here. I've been chosen by the high council to find and kill. I know it's not easy for you to believe what I'm saying, but you must. She is extremely dangerous."  
  
"Sir?" Sam said to her CO.   
  
Teal'c turned and glanced at Jack.  
  
Both pondered his decision about this woman.  
  
Jack didn't utter a word, lost in his thoughts at the moment. He was always wary of strangers but this time he had to trust someone.  
  
"You seem to know a lot about this--Kar...whatever it is."  
  
"Kar'tuc," she reminded him.  
  
He nodded. "Right, well," he hesitated and lowered his P-90. "Maybe you can help us."  
  
Stunned, Rina stared at them. Her tired arms were still held above her head.  
  
"Oh, uh, it's okay. You can put your hands down now."  
  
She smiled graciously. "Thank you." And then Rina revealed more about the alien's history. "When Imika was in prison, a tracker, like a small chip was implanted inside her arm, above the wrist."  
  
Curiosity always got the best of Sam, so much that she was willing to be the first to step closer to her. Intrigued, she asked Rina, "How are you able to track her?"  
  
Rina continued. "I can track Imika with this." She showed them a crystalline bracelet on her right wrist. One would think it was jewelry with oval-shaped amethyst jewels circling around it until she explained.  
  
"You see this in the middle," Rina said, pointing to the purple stone that glowed a faint green. "When it's green, she's far from me. When it's red, I'm close to her."  
  
Sam interrogated her again. "You said you're here to find and kill this Kar'tuc."  
  
"That's correct. It won't be easy to destroy her with your weapons. She is too fast."  
  
Rina reached inside the side pocket of her uniform.  
  
Jack grasped onto his gun.  
  
"It's all right," Rina assured and eased a small black tube from inside her pocket.  
  
"This weapon I carry was given to me to destroy her. Inside is a lethal dose of a toxin we created from bacteria found on our world. It proved to be very effective against the Kar'tuc."   
  
Sam felt uneasy about what she just said, wondering if this toxin would be lethal to humans.  
  
Rina's brows wrinkled above her striking aquamarine eyes. "Tell me, you're here like I am, but what did she do to you? Did she hurt anyone on your world? Wherever your world is?"  
  
"Earth," Jack answered. "And--yes, she may have hurt someone close to us."  
  
"May I ask who?"  
  
Sam volunteered solemnly, "Daniel Jackson. He's part of our team. We were here yesterday, studying this planet. And--," she stopped, keeping herself from crying. "It kidnapped him. That's why we're back, to rescue him."  
  
"I usually work alone."  
  
"Hey," Jack blurted, offended by her arrogance. "Didn't you hear what she just said, our friend was kidnapped by this thing. We would find him ourselves but you said our weapons are useless. I thought maybe you would do the kind thing, like help us out?"  
  
Rina sighed. "All right. I will help you."   
  
Sam interrupted, "Wait, that toxin, it's been tested against the Kar'tuc, right?"  
  
"That's correct."  
  
"What about humans? I don't think you and your people have met humans before."  
  
Irritated by Sam's interrogation, Rina replied with an obvious annoyance in her voice. "You're right. This is the first time I've encountered humans."  
  
"So," Sam continued. "We welcome your help but we're also concerned about how this toxin would affect us."  
  
Teal'c boasted, "The toxin will not affect me."  
  
Rina eyed him bitterly. "That's right, you're a Jaffa."  
  
Teal'c sensed her anger toward him and rushed to defend himself. "A Jaffa who no longer serves false Gods. I serve only the Tau'ri now."  
  
She smiled briefly, thinking if he's with humans, who the Goa'ulds despise, what he disclosed to her has to be the truth.  
  
"Well, it takes great courage, what you've done."  
  
Teal'c bowed his head a little and then he turned toward Jack and Sam. "I know you are concerned about this toxin. I will assist Rina in finding Daniel. You and Major Carter should stay here."  
  
Jack thought again and then he said, "That's not a bad idea."  
  
Sam, realizing she was harsh to the woman, humbled herself. "Rina, um, thanks. And excuse our manners. I'm Major Sam Carter."  
  
Jack pointed at himself. "I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill."  
  
The Jaffa offered his name. "I'm Teal'c," he said and bowed his head.  
  
Rina returned the gesture and smiled. "Come, Teal'c. We must hurry before the night comes."  
  
******************************************************  
  
Imika sat inside the bedroom she created--the lair of the cave. Something worried her. Rina. Imika had been aware of Rina's relentless pursuit of her life. And the only way to stop Rina's hunt was to remove the tracker from her arm. Right now, she had no time to worry about the pain. It had to be done. Imika picked up the speared rock and pressed it against the flesh on her right arm above the wrist.  
  
Daniel lay on his back. His fatigues were back on, but disheveled. His body was extremely weak and racked with throbbing bruises. Bruises marred his face along with blood-dried scrapes. He felt as if she took something from him, part of his soul, but at the same time, she had given him another, an exchange of something that he could not understand. And when Imika screamed from the pain of the tracker she extracted, he also felt the pain, as if she had become one with him. A part of him wanted to stay with her. He had to fight it and struggled to stand on his feet.   
  
I have to get out of here  
  
Daniel staggered away from Imika. The entrance of the cave loomed closer. Though his body ached terribly and feeling sick to his stomach, he refused to give up and stumbled out into the stifling heat of day.  
  
************************************************************  
  
"What is it?" Teal'c said to Rina as they continued their search through the forest. He looked around, noticing the sun would again say good night and welcome the darkness.   
  
Troubled, Rina's eyes remained on her wrist device.  
  
Teal'c asked, "Is there a problem?"  
  
"Yes," an alarmed Rina replied. "It was yellow, which meant we were close, but now it's gone."  
  
The Jaffa added, "It has malfunctioned?"  
  
Rina nodded. "No." Frustrated, she halted and stared angrily into the forest. "Imika, I was afraid she would do something like this so I wouldn't find her."  
  
Teal'c spun around when someone tumbled out of the woods. He rushed over to the battered body, turning him onto his back.  
  
"Daniel Jackson!"  
  
Rina stood over them. "He's your friend you spoke of?"  
  
"Yes. We must get him back to the base."  
  
"But I need to search for Imika."  
  
"It will be dark soon. How can you search for her in darkness?"  
  
Extremely weak, Daniel gazed at his loyal friend through half closed lids.   
  
He whispered, "Teal'c."  
  
Teal'c lifted Daniel's limp body and carried him gently in his arms.  
  
"Teal'c!" Rina called.  
  
He ignored the bounty hunter and headed back to Jack and Sam.  
  
Rina scowled and followed him.  
  
****************************************************  
  
Sam sat beside her CO underneath a canopy of trees. The sun was setting and the temperature began to plummet. An eerie silence stalked them. Both weren't thrilled about waiting on a planet where the chameleon-like alien could be anywhere.  
  
Sam hated this, the torturous waiting. She leaped up from the grass.   
  
"They should be back by now," she said nervously.  
  
Jack uncrossed his legs and stood up. He reached for her arms, grasping them gently.   
  
"Carter, they'll find him."  
  
Tears welled in her eyes. Despite them, she nodded, agreeing with Jack's comforting words. And at that moment, it seemed unbelievable, but his lips stirred closer, longing for her lips. A moment shattered by...  
  
"O'Neill! Major Carter!"  
  
They whirled around in the direction of Teal'c's voice.  
  
Jack was the first to race toward the burly Jaffa carrying Daniel in his arms. Sam sped behind.   
  
Gently, Teal'c placed Daniel onto the bed of grass.   
  
Sam almost cried at the sight of an unconscious Daniel. His dark brown hair, usually well groomed, now matted and spiked. His face, mostly the right side was swollen and bruised.  
  
"Daniel," Sam said warmly, touching the left side of his face. "We're getting you out of here."  
  
Rina shouted, "What about Imika? I have to carry out the orders I was given to destroy her."  
  
Teal'c answered, "How can you find her when night is approaching? And without the tracker she removed from her body? Daniel Jackson is hurt badly. We must get him back to the base."  
  
Sam's teary eyes leaped to meet Rina's gaze. "Teal'c is right. We have to get Daniel out of here before Imika finds us."  
  
Rina sighed. "All right, but I'm coming with you."  
  
"Why?" Jack wondered.  
  
"I want to make sure he's all right. And...I need to think about another way to find Imika."  
  
He nodded and waved his hand, motioning for her to go with them.  
  
Teal'c hoisted Daniel from the ground, swinging his arm around his left shoulder while Jack held Daniel on the other side.  
  
They hurried toward the gate and after Teal'c dialed, they were the first to slip through. Sam followed. Rina, she stopped, looking around at the forest.  
  
You're here somewhere. I'll find you  
  
And then Rina faded through the gate.  
  
******************************************************  
  
Alarms blared around the SG-1 team as they hurried down ramp with Daniel. Rina trailed slowly behind them.  
  
"Close the iris!" Hammond shouted amidst chaos of frantic medics rushing in to the gate room.  
  
The iris clanked shut. What had gone unnoticed by most was something...a shadow camouflaging, blending with the ramp. It watched Daniel on the stretcher as he was taken out of the gate room.  
  
Watching. Lurking.  
  
********************************************************  
  
AN: And those who happen to be reading this, keep up the R&R because there's another chapter! 


	3. Mark of the Chameleon

Note from Havana: What motivates me to keep this story going? It has been your encouragement and kind feedback. Thank you! Thank you! I also appreciate those who review and let me know if there are any mistakes. Keep up the R&R!  
  
Disclaimer: The SG characters aren't mine, wish they were but Imika and Rina belong to me.  
  
Category: Drama, Angst and Action Adventure  
  
Rating: PG-13 for mature content in one scene (dialogue) and Psychological Trauma (Danny whumping)  
  
Chapter 3: Mark of the Chameleon  
  
*********************************  
  
"Daniel?"  
  
The familiar gentle voice resonated around him in haunting echoes.  
  
His eyes fluttered and when he opened them, they squinted at the light dancing from left to right. Daniel connected the voice with the warm face staring back at him--Dr. Janet Fraiser.  
  
"Hey," Janet said, smiling at the Archaeologist while he recuperated. She flicked off the light of the optic instrument and tucked it into the pocket of her white coat.  
  
He grunted, groggy and disoriented from the many painkillers that had been pumped into his body through the IV. Daniel wet his parched lips and his eyes rolled every moment or so, trying to remain awake.   
  
Janet asked, "Do you know who I am?"  
  
Daniel acknowledged. Slowly, he nodded up and down.  
  
"Good. Where are you?"  
  
"In the--," his voice slurred, "In the infir-ma-ry."  
  
She smiled again and relieved to know his memory had not been affected by the trauma. Janet hoped he would stay awake a little longer, but with all the drugs she administered to ease the pain he suffered, Daniel slipped back into the arms of sleep that returned for him.  
  
~The Dream~  
  
There has to be a way out.  
  
Daniel shivered from the cold biting through flesh and bone. He didn't think this was funny at all, trapped in a dark cave, like a crazy maze. Going around in circles, trapped and desperate to escape. A dead silence spooked him. So quiet, the only sound heard was the frenetic beating of his heart.   
  
There was a turn up ahead. Daniel raced toward it, thinking this has to be the exit. And when he sped around the corner, he slammed into the misshapen creature that was Imika. The anger in her jade eyes burned though every fragment of his soul. She raised her arm, then opening the taloned fingers about to strike...  
  
Daniel bolted from the pillow. He gasped as if the air had been vacuumed from his lungs. His wide blue eyes gazed wildly around the infirmary.  
  
"Daniel!"  
  
Sam, frantic about what to do was a second away from calling Janet, but when she saw he calmed down, she canceled her decision and stayed with him. It's been an hour since she sat in a chair beside him. She tried to focus on Daniel getting better, and then the anger would return when she thought of Imika...what she had done to her best friend.  
  
Daniel looked up and met her soothing gaze. "Sam," he uttered breathlessly.  
  
Sam sniffed and smeared a tear from under her right eye. "I'm right here, Daniel. You're gonna be okay." She comforted him with her gentle smile.  
  
Daniel smiled back, a weak one he expressed briefly and then he closed his eyes.  
  
Sam watched him turn his head away from her. While he slept, she noticed something other than the bruises on his face. She leaned over him to get a closer look. On the left side of his neck was a 3-inch scratch, a deep one Imika had inflicted. Sam continued to study the swollen and ruddy scratch. Her thoughts racked with frustration, because they weren't dealing with something primitive. Imika was highly intelligent, sadistically clever and she hoped Rina thought of another way to find her...or else the SG-1 would.  
  
It was time for Sam to leave. Unfortunately she had other things to take care of---the things that seemed minute compared to her concern for Daniel. Her eyes lingered on him one last time and then she closed the door behind her. Jack and Teal'c waited outside and she noticed they were eager to know Jack's condition.  
  
"Sam?" Jack said, uncrossing his arms.  
  
"Well," she hesitated and breathed. "He's hanging in there so far, thank God. The bruises are healing and..."  
  
Teal'c sensed the concern in Sam's voice. "Are you sure Daniel Jackson is well?"  
  
"He's getting better," Sam answered defensively. "It's just, he has nightmares. What he went through was a traumatic experience."  
  
"Carter," Jack explained, "We're not doubting what he experienced. We're just concerned and hope he makes it through this--emotionally I mean. You know Daniel and what he's been through in the past."  
  
Sam reassured them with a confident smile. "And Daniel has always bounced right back."  
  
Jack nodded. "You're right," he answered unconvincingly and wondered if Sam and Teal'c fell for what he hoped was good acting.  
  
Hands buried in the pockets of his pants, Jack peered through the window at Daniel. He knew Sam and Teal'c were upset. The anger in him boiled at such a point, he had no reservations about wanting Imika dead.   
  
*******************************************************  
  
An hour later, the team and Rina met Hammond inside the briefing room.  
  
"Rina," Hammond said at the table, sitting across from her. "Is there any other way this alien can be contained and brought back to your planet?"  
  
"General, I've been thinking of another way. It won't be easy because these aliens can hide. They can blend with its surroundings."  
  
Sam interrupted, "Like what a chameleon does."  
  
Jack peeked out from beside Tea'lc and acknowledged her answer.  
  
"Good analogy. Wish I would've thought of that."  
  
Sam blushed slightly and then she straightened herself, careful to hide her attraction to O'Neill.  
  
She gave Rina her attention again. "That's why I couldn't see it in the trees, but I heard something moving. So it's not impossible to catch her."  
  
"I agree with you, Major Carter," Rina stated, "But she's very fast. The tracker would enable me to get close enough to catch her. Now that she has removed the device, it won't be easy to find her. The only other advantage I have is, when a Kar'tuc hides, it's not invisible. It will blend into an object, but a keen eye would see something moving. It would appear like ripples over for example, the chair I'm sitting on. But she's not here. She's on a planet where she can be anywhere."  
  
"All right, then," Hammond said. "P49-865 is declared unsafe until we can find a way to catch this thing."  
  
"And destroy it," Rina added firmly. "I know Imika. She would never surrender and come back willingly to my planet. If I or anyone gets in her way, she will kill, and that's why it was decided she must die."  
  
*********************************************************  
  
Janet wasn't thrilled about the idea of Daniel leaving the infirmary. It had only been a week since the incident. She went to see Hammond inside his office and hoped he understood her concerns.  
  
"Sir," Janet said, standing in front of his desk. "I think it was too soon for Daniel to leave the infirmary."  
  
Hammond sighed and looked up at Janet. "When I asked you how Daniel is doing, you told me he's much better. He said he feels better. If you can give me a good reason he should stay in the infirmary, then he would have to obey that order. Other than that, we can't make him stay."  
  
"Sir, physically he's better, but emotionally," she paused and shook her head. "I'm not so sure."  
  
"Doctor, all we can do is keep an eye on him, but you can't keep him confined in the infirmary."  
  
Janet thought for a moment, suspecting something she had to ask. "You're sending him on another mission?"  
  
"I think it's best."  
  
"With all due respect, Sir, after what Daniel experienced, I don't think he should go anywhere but home for a while."  
  
Janet's persistence about Daniel irritated Hammond, but he refrained from raising his voice.   
  
"Doctor, SG-1 has been through--,"  
  
"I know," Janet interrupted. "SG-1 has been to hell and back, so another mission won't hurt."  
  
Taken back by her sarcasm, Hammond answered sternly, "I understand your concern because you're a doctor, but I know the only way Daniel will get through this is if he goes on another mission."  
  
Frustrated about Hammond's idea, Janet inhaled and then she let out a deep sigh.   
  
"All right, if you think it's best. I apologize for my tone before and I, uh, I better get back to the infirmary."  
  
Hammond watched her leave. He knew she was upset, tempted to call her back into his office, but he slumped against his black leather chair.  
  
Janet, I have to do what's best. I have to...  
  
Hammond sighed as his forehead sank into the palm of his right hand.  
  
******************************************************  
  
Daniel sat quietly in his office. Usually he was busy on the computer, studying mythologies of various cultures or an artifact found on another planet while savoring his freshly brewed coffee. But today he sat at his desk and stared absently at the monitor. His mind obsessed with tortuous thoughts of Imika. She kidnapped him into the cave, though he was rescued...now she had kidnapped his mind. Furious at her control over his thoughts, he slammed his fist onto the desk. The rage rippled from his fist, like tremors had rattled the full cup of coffee. Some sputtered onto his hands and on the desk. Exasperated by what just happened, Daniel flung the coffee off his hands.   
  
One knock rapped at the slightly open door.  
  
"Daniel?"  
  
Daniel's powder blue eyes behind his glasses darted from the computer to Jack peeking inside the office.  
  
"Jack? I didn't see you--how long have you been standing there?"  
  
"Only a few minutes. You mind if I come in?"   
  
Uninterested at the moment of Jack's visit, he only nodded.  
  
Ouch, Jack thought, sensing Daniel's frigid welcome.  
  
He was concerned about Daniel's unusual behavior; nevertheless, Jack strode toward Daniel's desk and stopped beside it.  
  
In the light from the desk lamp, O'Neill saw Daniel's face clearly. He looked better despite the bruises that left their faint traces on his skin.   
  
Annoyed by his stare, Daniel asked coldly, "Jack, what are you looking at?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, nothing." He cleared his throat and crossed his arms behind his back. "Just making sure you're okay," said Jack, trying to remain calm.  
  
"I'm fine," Daniel grumbled through his teeth while cleaning up the coffee with a tissue. "How are you?"  
  
Jack flashed a wide cheery grin. "Great. Never felt better."  
  
Daniel couldn't shake the feeling and the question as to what Jack wanted. He thought, maybe he came to talk about something, like what happened on P49-865.  
  
"Daniel," Jack began, "If you, you know, need to talk..."  
  
Daniel angrily tossed the tissue into the trash and glared at his superior. "What do you want to know, hmm? What? The bruises and the other injuries, that's not enough for you? You wanna know more?"  
  
Daniel sprang from his chair. His eyes blazed like those of a madman.  
  
Jack stepped back a little, raising his hands as if to stop Daniel from doing something crazy.  
  
"Daniel, I just thought we could talk."  
  
"Yeah," he growled, stalking toward Jack. "You wanna know about the other details, the way she pinned me down, what she forced me to do!!! You like that don't you? You wanted to hear me say it!"  
  
"Daniel!"  
  
The Archaeologist grabbed Jack's neck and slammed him against the wall. He pinned him there, tightening his grip.   
  
A stunned Jack O'Neill couldn't believe what was happening. Pinned to the wall by Daniel who suddenly possessed an incredible strength, an abnormal strength that was enough to kill him. He glimpsed the scratch on the left side of Daniel's neck. A few days ago it appeared to be healing, now it swelled again. The color also changed from red to a pale grey.  
  
The Colonel struggled to breath. "Daniel," he croaked. "Your neck..."  
  
Daniel, realizing what he was doing to his friend, released his grip. From the moment Jack walked into his office, it was as if he didn't recognize him, hating the stranger who provoked him.  
  
Jack choked in a few spurts while holding his neck. He watched a confused and disoriented Daniel Jackson stumble backward sped out of the office.  
  
******************************************************  
  
Daniel fled to his quarters where he would get ready before going on a mission. He opened his locker and on the right side was a mirror. Tilting his head a little, he saw what Jack warned him about. He swallowed hard while watching the hideous mark. It appeared to be growing, like a parasite leeched onto his skin. And then Daniel knew something was very wrong.  
  
******************************************************  
  
"Sir?" Sam said, bumping into Jack in one of the corridors. "Are you okay?"  
  
Jack rubbed his neck that still ached.   
  
"Carter," he replied breathlessly, "Daniel isn't--Daniel."  
  
"What?"  
  
"He attacked me, like he wanted to kill me but he didn't. And the scratch on his neck, it's changing."  
  
"Where is he now?"  
  
Jack winced and shook his head. "I don't know."  
  
*********************************************************  
  
"What happened?" A bewildered Janet Fraiser looked up from her chair and into the concerned faces of Jack, Sam and Teal'c.  
  
After the incident in Daniel's office, Jack along with his 2IC and Jaffa friend had no choice but to urgently see Janet in her office.  
  
Jack was the first to acknowledge Janet's question. "I'm telling you doc, Daniel wanted to kill me."  
  
Janet believed him when she noticed the signs of potential red bruises around Jack's neck.   
  
The Colonel continued, "And then after I told him what I saw on his neck, he stopped and ran out."  
  
"The scratch you mean?"  
  
"Yeah, but it's--," Jack grimaced at what he remembered. "It's changing into some grey looking thing."  
  
Sam intervened, "Janet, he's not himself. Whatever this alien did to him, it's affecting his behavior. It's like she has control over him--," Sam froze as if she figured out the answer to a difficult equation. Her eyes brightened. "Wait a minute...the scratch on his neck, the way he's behaving, it reminds me of what a vampire does to its' victim. Is it possible that's what we're dealing with? A vampire type of alien?" She chuckled. "Wait, it's silly..."  
  
Immediately, Janet shook her head. "No. It's not silly. You may be right about Imika. We have to let the General and Rina know what's going on."  
  
"We should find Daniel Jackson," Teal'c suggested. "He may have gone back to his office."  
  
"Wait," Jack said and sighed deeply. He wondered if he should mention what Daniel confessed to him, but he felt it was important for them to know. "Daniel, before he tried to *kill* me, he uh...he told me Imika held him down and forced him to do...something."  
  
Janet's delicately arched brows furrowed. "Are you saying he was raped?"  
  
Jack cleared his throat and again he grimaced. "It's possible that's what...happened."  
  
Sam mumbled, "Oh my God."  
  
An awkward silence lulled over them.  
  
Janet, feeling an overwhelming sadness for Daniel, stood from her chair. She took in a deep breath and sighed. "Well, we should definitely let the General and Rina know about this situation...and we better find Daniel."  
  
*********************************************************  
  
Daniel had gone back to his office after what he saw on his neck. In the middle of the room, he cushioned his head against the leather swivel chair. Slowly, he twirled himself round and round. His eyes fixated on the ceiling, as if he saw something there. Three knocks pummeled on the door behind him.  
  
Annoyed at the knocks interrupting his fun, Daniel halted his merry-go-round obsession and stared ominously at the door.   
  
"Who is it?" He grumbled.  
  
"It's Dr. Fraiser."  
  
Daniel rolled his eyes and sulked. "Entrer!" He shouted sarcastically in a very convincing French accent.  
  
Janet sauntered inside his office. Sam, Jack and Teal'c ambled behind her.  
  
Daniel straightened himself in the chair and glared at his friends. He battled the reasoning of why they irritated him so much-a battle he slowly lost.   
  
"I'm sorry, Daniel," Janet said gently. "We're concerned and..." Her voice trailed; distracted by the black turtleneck he wore. "Why are you wearing a turtleneck sweater? I thought you were going offworld?"  
  
He smirked. "Because I want to. Sometimes it can get a bit nippy on some of these planets."  
  
Cautious, Janet stepped closer to him. "I need to see the scratch on your neck."  
  
Daniel stood abruptly from the chair. His arms were hidden behind him.  
  
Janet stepped back with the others, eyeing him carefully.   
  
"I'm fine," He snarled at Dr. Fraiser. "You don't need to be here."  
  
"I just want to make sure you're okay."  
  
Daniel's arms sprang from around him and pointed a side arm at those he perceived to be his ex-friends. "I'm fine!"  
  
Jack raised his hands. "Whoa, Danny boy."  
  
Janet's lips fell. She stumbled back with the shocked team. They watched him, speechless at first and for the moment, paralyzed by the gun aimed at them.  
  
Daniel seethed. "Leave me alone. All of you! I know what you're doing. You want to keep us apart but it won't work. I'm getting out of here."   
  
Daniel opened the office door, keeping his gun locked onto them. "If any of you even try to stop me, you're dead."  
  
When Daniel escaped out into the corridor, Sam raced out of the office and pounded the red alert button.  
  
*************************************************************  
  
The wailing alarm beckoned Hammond out of his office and into the control room.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked, wanting an immediate answer from the few technicians sitting at the computers.  
  
Like him, they were also baffled about the alert. There was no warning of an incoming traveler.  
  
"Sir!" Sam said as she hiked frantically up the stairs. Janet, O'Neill, Teal'c and Rina sped behind her.  
  
"Would someone tell me what's going on?"  
  
Sam waited to catch her breath and then she explained. "It's Daniel. He threatened to kill us with a gun when we questioned the scratch on his neck."  
  
"Sir," Janet said assertively. "He's having a psychotic break, which we believe is from Imika's control over him."  
  
"What the," Jack muttered while looking down inside the gate room. "It's Daniel, he's trying to leave through the gate."  
  
Soldiers swarmed into the room with their guns ready and locked on their target standing at the bottom of the ramp.  
  
Hammond breezed through the sliding door with the team behind him.  
  
"Dr. Jackson," Hammond yelled. "What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Don't you understand?" Daniel pleaded. "I have to get out of here."  
  
His wide, blood shot eyes glared wildly. "If you don't let me go, I'll..."   
  
Daniel dropped the gun. He screamed and collapsed onto his knees. His hands clenched his temples, squeezing them.  
  
Janet and Sam rushed over to his slumped body. While Janet ordered the medics to come, Rina thought she saw something odd near Janet, Sam and Daniel. The air rippled around them.   
  
Rina shouted, "Get away from him! She's here!"  
  
Suddenly, Janet and Sam were yanked from their feet and thrown across the floor.  
  
"General!" Rina warned. "It's Imika!"  
  
Imika uncloaked herself. The seven--foot alien hissed at her hunter and when the soldiers fired, Imika sped away, dodging their bullets and barging into more soldiers swarming inside. They were flung out of her path as she escaped through the sliding door.   
  
Rina stared at the door that clanked shut, thinking...  
  
All this time, she was here.  
  
***************************************************  
  
AN: Not done yet...more to come! 


	4. Wanted: Dead and no mercy

Note from Havana: Hey guys, sorry it took me a while to write the next chapter. I've been very busy at work and Christmas shopping. I hoped to get this done before Christmas and I did it! Again, a big thanks to Miss Kleola and Gatergirl. Thank you all who reviewed the last chapter. Your feedback and support helped me continue this. Well, now I present to you the final chapter. Hope you enjoy it and it's been fun writing these stories for your entertainment!  
  
Disclaimer: SG-1 characters aren't my creation. Wish they were, but Imika and Rina are mine.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Category: Drama, Angst and Action Adventure  
  
Chapter 4: Wanted: Dead and no mercy  
  
***********************************  
  
"How in the world did that thing get in here?"   
  
Hammond glared at Rina when he asked the question. The General tried to be as patient as he could, but while Daniel's emotional condition deteriorated rapidly and now Imika was lurking somewhere on the base, Hammond's patience waned each second that ticked by. Inside the briefing room, he waited for Rina's answer.  
  
"I've told you," Rina began, her aquamarine eyes shifted from Hammond to Jack, Teal'c, Sam and Janet, then they crossed back to the General. "Imika is very clever. She cloaked herself and followed me through the gate. It's not an easy task to find her without the tracker, but now that she's here, the task would not be as difficult."  
  
"All right, then," said Hammond, "You have my permission to help us find this, Imika before she gets the opportunity to harm anyone else."  
  
"I assure you, General, when I find her, she will never be a problem to you or anyone else again."  
  
Jack wondered if anyone noticed he had been lost in his thoughts for the moment. Something nagged him and once Hammond gave the ok to be dismissed, he had to talk to someone about it.  
  
"Dismissed."  
  
After Hammond's dismissal, Jack leaped like a schoolboy eager to join his friends. He followed his team out into the corridor. When the Colonel overheard Rina's conversation with Janet about her request to see Daniel, Jack didn't have to think of a way to speak privately to his team. Janet had no qualms about Rina's request-an opportunity Jack had been thankful for while watching Janet escort the bounty hunter.  
  
"Uh," Jack said to Sam and Teal'c. "I need to talk you guys about something."  
  
They stopped and turned to face him.  
  
"What is it, Sir?" Sam wondered.  
  
Getting to the point, Jack blurted, "Daniel. Something just doesn't seem right."  
  
Sam frowned. "What do you mean?"  
  
Jack shifted his attention to Teal'c. "You found Daniel in the forest, right?"  
  
"That is correct."  
  
"Well, think about it, why would Imika let him get away? See, that doesn't make sense."  
  
Teal'c arched his brow.   
  
Sam was also baffled by what Imika had done. She pondered what Jack said and then her eyes widened. "Wait, it makes sense if she wanted to follow us back here."  
  
Teal'c added, "This alien kidnapped Daniel Jackson and intended to keep him prisoner. That is what I assumed when Rina told me it removed the tracker so it could not be found. And yet, it allowed Daniel Jackson to get away and follow us here. You are right O'Neill, it does not make sense to me either."  
  
Flustered, Sam shook her head. "There has to be a reason why she allowed Daniel to get away and follow us here."  
  
Jack peered down the corridor that led to the infirmary.   
  
"Rina," he mumbled.  
  
******************************************************  
  
While Janet was busy reading Daniel's test results, Rina stood beside his bed. She watched him intensely. The Archaeologist, dressed in pale blue hospital pajamas had been strapped to the bed with thick leather cuffs secured around his wrists and ankles. His face drowned in sweat, gaunt and pale from anemia, as if death was coming for him soon. The mark on the left side of his neck had spread and now appeared like slimy, reptilian scales. His lips were so parched they bled. Dark, puffy circles sank from under his eyes.  
  
Daniel slept restlessly. His face thrashed from left to right, as if he was having a horrible nightmare. Rina continued to watch him. There had been a glint of hatred in her eyes. And then she remembered...  
  
A few years ago, SG-1 visited the world that was originally her home. The peaceful explorers discovered the planet was in danger of being destroyed by a nearby star, which had expanded into a red giant. Her people refused to leave, but if they didn't, the other choice was death. Many, including her family trusted the strangers who offered them shelter through the Stargate. Rina kept to herself. The team didn't know who she was, but Rina found herself drawn to Daniel. An attraction so intense, she had to let him know how she felt. The day when SG-1 offered to take them through the gate, Rina revealed herself only to Daniel, inviting him inside her colonial style home.   
  
"Daniel," she said softly and cradled his face. "I want to be with you."  
  
Gently, Daniel took her hands away from his face and held them into his own. "Rina, we can't be together. Not right now. So much has happened and I can't--,"  
  
"There's someone else," Rina surmised.   
  
Daniel nodded solemnly. "Her name was Sha're. She uh, she's dead. And I'm not ready to be close to anyone else right now."  
  
Rina never felt such pain, revealing her love to someone only to get rejected. She let him go and when they arrived on earth at the base, she left him alone and stayed with her family. Once they were told another world was found, her people were happy, but she wasn't. She missed her home. She loved Daniel Jackson. He refused her love for him. Rina left without saying goodbye, though she had noticed Daniel looked frantically for her. He was too late. She vanished through the gate to P35-987, the world her people renamed, Deneb.   
  
During the rest of her years spent on Deneb, Rina's obsession with Daniel tormented her. Her mind warped with hatred for him. Then she thought of a way to punish the Archaeologist for rejecting her. An alien ship crashed on their planet. The ship was searched and what had been discovered was a crew of twenty--aliens known as Kar'tuc. Her people imprisoned them out of fear these aliens would take over Deneb. Rina, the young scientist invented a mind control device she implanted into one of the females-Imika. She studied these aliens closely, knowing they were a vampire type species that would attack when provoked. All Rina had to do was transfer her thoughts to Imika's mind through the device, controlling her like a puppet. The experiment was a success. Now, she had to get back to earth and somehow kidnap Daniel. Problem...Imika, knowing about Rina's manipulation, broke out of prison and escaped through the Stargate.   
  
Rina pretended to the high council that she would find Imika and bring her back. And so she followed her to the planet where Imika hid. While searching for her, Rina never expected to see SG-1, now she was glad Imika escaped. And when she saw Daniel, she programmed Imika to do whatever she wanted.  
  
The device was activated.  
  
Rina transferred her thoughts, manipulating Imika to swoop down from the trees after Daniel...  
  
"Rina, are you okay?"  
  
Startled, the Scientist looked up at Janet standing beside her. "Yes. I'm--I'm fine."  
  
Janet noticed Rina's concern and smiled warmly. "I know. I'm very concerned about him, too. I'm doing every thing I can and yet he's..."  
  
"Dying," Rina interjected bluntly.   
  
Janet was taken back by her abrupt, almost callous reply.  
  
"Well, his condition is getting worse but I'm hoping..."  
  
"Dr. Fraiser," Rina interrupted again. "Daniel is dying. I know Imika and her kind very well. Once it has contact with a person, and the mark on his neck is proof of that, the victim cannot survive. The first sign is delirium, then death. I don't mean to sound harsh, but you need to know the truth. I am sorry this has happened to your friend and that's why I intend to find Imika before she can kill anyone else."  
  
Janet glanced at her. When she first met Rina, she thought the bounty hunter looked familiar, and now she had another déjà vu feeling.  
  
"Have we met before?"  
  
Rina panicked inside. She hoped Janet didn't recognize her, recalling when the petite doctor gave her a medical exam before going to the new world.   
  
"No," A stoic Rina insisted.   
  
"Well, maybe you just look like someone. I see so many patients here and people from offworld."  
  
Behind them, the door swung open. A geared up Jack, Sam, Teal'c and several soldiers entered the infirmary.  
  
Jack asked, "How is he doing?"  
  
Janet sighed and shook her head. "Not good."  
  
O'Neill stared at Rina. He didn't care if she saw the glint of suspicion in his eyes.   
  
"Come on," he said, waving a hand and beckoning Rina to follow them. "We have to find this thing."  
  
Janet stayed behind with Daniel. She gasped when his bloodshot eyes snapped open. His fingers grasped her hand.   
  
He lifted his head a little from the pillow. "J-Janet..."  
  
"Daniel, what is it?"  
  
Daniel's lips trembled as he forced the words out. "Rina...I know...her."  
  
Bewildered, Janet's eyes narrowed. She shrugged the thought of seeing Rina before and now the bounty hunter was familiar to Daniel.   
  
"Where did you see her?"  
  
"We--we rescued her people from the world in danger...the red giant. We sent them to P35-987..."  
  
"Where she lives now," Janet helped him. "Deneb."  
  
Daniel nodded weakly and again he struggled to speak. "Imika, she spoke to me...in my dreams...warning me. Rina...she did this to me...not Imika."  
  
Janet didn't know what to believe. Rina stated the first sign was delirium. They were warned about Imika's deception. Then why did she feel so unsettled around Rina a few moments ago?  
  
*********************************************************  
  
SG-1 and Rina crept around the corridors. Hands were wrapped tightly around P-90s. Rina held on to her defense-a tube filled with the toxin. Her eyes expertly scanned for any movement of Imika.   
  
"Colonel? Colonel?"  
  
Jack was suddenly alerted by Janet's voice on his radio. He pulled it out from his vest pocket and clicked it to talk.  
  
"Dr. Fraiser," he whispered into the radio. "What's going on?"  
  
"Sir, Daniel woke up and...I don't know if it's one of Imika's tricks but he told me what Imika said to him in a dream. Rina isn't who she pretends to be. She's a scientist who knew Daniel when she was rescued from one of the worlds you visited. It had been in danger from a red giant and then they were sent to P35-987. I knew she looked familiar but I wasn't sure. For some reason, she wants Daniel dead and used Imika to do it."  
  
Jack whispered back, "It could be a trick and maybe not--,"  
  
"She's here!" Rina hollered at the sight of ripples on the wall.   
  
A blast of wind from Imika's speed slapped the team and hurled them down to the floor. Imika charged toward Rina, slamming her against the wall. The tube rolled across the floor and when Imika materialized, she grasped it into her hand.  
  
Jack and the others aimed their P-90s. Teal'c powered up his staff weapon.  
  
"No!" Rina demanded, leaping onto her boots. "Don't fire! She has the toxin. I'm immune to it but I'm not sure what effect it will have on humans."  
  
"Rina," Jack said, keeping his eyes and the gun locked onto Imika. "Didn't we rescue you and your people once? Yeah, your planet was in danger of being destroyed by a red giant."  
  
His gaze darted to Rina and for a moment, Jack thought he saw her tremble.  
  
Quickly, Rina composed herself. "I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
Jack continued, "We sent you to P35-987, which is Deneb, right?"  
  
"I've never seen you or any one from earth until we met on the planet where Imika was hiding."  
  
"Daniel, you've never met him before?"  
  
"Why are you asking me these questions? Imika is the enemy, not me!"  
  
"Rina," Jack's voice boomed through the corridors. "What the hell is going on? You better tell us now!"  
  
Anger burned across her petite face. She couldn't pretend anymore. Possibly she could continue the charade around the others, but not Jack O'Neill.  
  
"All right," Rina surrendered. "It's true, you rescued my people from destruction. I also know Daniel."  
  
Jack kept his eyes and the gun on Imika.  
  
He added, "So you used Imika to attack him?"  
  
"Yes." Her soft voice became callous and frigid. "The tracker was actually a device I used to control her, to make her do whatever I wanted. Daniel deserved what Imika had done to him."  
  
Jack spun his P-90 away from Imika and pointed it at Rina. His brown eyes blazed at the woman who not only manipulated Imika, but himself and everyone who trusted her.   
  
Sam noticed Imika stared at the floor, as if she bowed her head in shame.  
  
"Imika," Sam said, "That's why you got rid of the device, not because you wanted to hide from Rina. You didn't want to be controlled by her anymore."   
  
Imika remained silent while clenching the tube against her chest.  
  
Sam disgustedly rolled her eyes toward Rina. "Why?"  
  
"Daniel wanted no part of what I offered him."  
  
"And what was it you offered?"  
  
"Myself. He didn't want me." Rina trembled from the rage boiling within her. She shook her head and screamed, "I poured out my heart to him, like a fool! When Imika attacked him, she poisoned his blood with hers. There is no antidote. So you see, he deserves what he's suffering...and soon he will die."  
  
"Oh, I get it," Jack smirked. "It's not Imika you want dead, it's Daniel. The toxin, is it real?"  
  
"Yes. I planned to use it only if she disobeyed me, which Imika had done when she removed the device. But now she has the toxin."  
  
Sam whispered to Jack, "Sir, we have to get that toxin away from Imika. I'm not sure if she trusts anyone right now. I'll talk to her and hopefully she'll see we're not hostile."  
  
Even though Rina admitted she used Imika, Jack didn't share Sam's optimism about trusting the reptilian alien. He sighed and rolled his eyes.  
  
"All right, Carter. Do what you gotta do, but we won't stand down unless she gives us the toxin."  
  
Sam agreed with a nod, and then she gave Imika her warm attention.  
  
"Imika, you're going to be okay. Rina won't hurt you anymore, and we don't want to hurt you."  
  
Slowly, Imika raised her head. Her almond--shaped jade eyes met Sam's gaze. "I hurt Daniel Jackson."  
  
"Rina manipulated you into hurting him."  
  
Imika shook her head, refusing to believe she wasn't responsible; neither did she want to accept Sam's comfort.  
  
"Imika, listen--,"  
  
"Noooo!"   
  
******************************************************  
  
"Daniel..." Janet screamed. She watched him helplessly as he struggled on the bed.   
  
The straps weren't enough for the strength Imika passed on to him. They snapped and Daniel leaped from the bed. He breezed past Janet, shoving her against the bed. Several airmen tried to stop him but Daniel successfully tackled them. Unscathed, the Archaeologist escaped the infirmary.  
  
******************************************************  
  
Daniel fled through the corridors while the red alert siren blared around him. He knew where to find her-Imika. Since that horrible day in the cave, it was as if they had become one. But no human can survive the blending. That was the poison, the consequence of mating with her species, which she explained to him in his dream. Both forced to do something they didn't want. And so he felt her pain, her rage along with his own. Daniel had been aware of something else...death. It waited long enough and was coming for him. Finally, he reached the corridor where he saw SG-1, Rina and Imika.  
  
Daniel collapsed against the wall and slid onto the floor.  
  
Teal'c heard a thud behind him and spun around. "Daniel Jackson!"  
  
"Imika," Daniel cried, stretching his hand toward her.  
  
"He's dying," Imika said solemnly. She turned and glared at Rina. "You are wrong when you said there is no antidote." Imika returned her attention back to the team. "I am the antidote. When I die, he will live. The poison I transferred to his body will die with me."  
  
"You're lying!" Rina yelled.  
  
Imika eyed the scientist again. "Rinaaaaa, you don't know everything about me and my people. Yes, the toxin will kill me, but it will release Daniel from the curse in his body."  
  
Sam nodded. "Imika, there has to be another way."  
  
"There is no other way."  
  
Convulsions rippled through Daniel's body.  
  
"Daniel!" Sam rushed over to him.  
  
When the convulsions subsided, he slumped into her arms. She checked for a pulse barely noticeable.   
  
"Oh God," she cried.  
  
Jack watched Imika unscrew the top off the tube. He agreed with Sam, wishing there was another way and then he gave Imika a quick nod of gratitude for what she was about to do.  
  
"No!!!"  
  
Imika heard Rina scream in the distance, ignoring her protest. She placed the tube against her lips, closed her eyes and swallowed death.  
  
It came quickly. Imika gasped for air and stumbled onto the floor.  
  
Sam refused to look. She heard Imika suffering and cried while cradling Daniel in her arms. The last word she heard Imika utter was a raspy...  
  
"Danieeeel."  
  
Sam checked Daniel's pulse. Nothing.  
  
"Daniel! Sir, he's not breathing. Oh God!"  
  
Jack and Teal'c raced to his side. Suddenly, the mark on Daniel's neck had vanished.  
  
"Daniel," Sam shouted. "Daniel..."  
  
He thought Sam's voice called out to him, but when Daniel opened his eyes, it was Janet who whispered his name.  
  
She smiled. "Welcome back. We were very worried about you."  
  
Daniel saw he was back in the infirmary. He slowly turned his head to the right. Jack, Teal'c and Sam stood beside his bed.  
  
"Imika?" Daniel barely uttered.   
  
Sam, Teal'c, and Janet were quiet, as if they waited for Jack to say something. He sighed and volunteered.  
  
"Imika, she's...dead."  
  
"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, "She sacrificed her life to save yours."  
  
Daniel squeezed his eyes. When he opened them, tears clouded his crystal blue eyes. Anger hardened his usual benevolent demeanor.  
  
"What about Rina?"  
  
Janet interrupted, "Right now she's high risk security and closely guarded. We're waiting for the members of the high council to come and arrest her. Daniel, after everything you've gone through, I want you to rest."  
  
Daniel nodded unconvincingly.  
  
Jack leaned over him and grinned. "We'll come back later and check up on you...Danny boy."  
  
Daniel smiled a little, but when they left, his smile faded and the anger returned.  
  
*******************************************************  
  
A few days later, several members of Deneb's high council arrived in the gate room where Hammond and SG-1 greeted them. Rina had been handcuffed and detained by two airmen standing on her left and right.  
  
One of the members, a middle--aged man approached Hammond.  
  
"General, we were unaware of Rina's actions and she will pay for her crime. We are deeply sorry for what has happened."  
  
At that moment, Daniel marched in, startling everyone.  
  
"Dr. Jackson," Hammond said, "I don't think it's wise for you to be here."  
  
Daniel ignored him and continued to march toward Rina.  
  
"Daniel!" Hammond roared.  
  
The Archaeologist opened his olive--green jacket and yanked out one of his side arms. He aimed the gun unsteadily at Rina.  
  
Jack eased toward him. "Daniel, you don't wanna do this. The high council has already decided her punishment. She's going to prison for the rest of her life. Daniel?"  
  
"Shut up, Jack!"   
  
The gun trembled in his hand.  
  
Rina smiled maliciously. "You're a coward. That's why you can't love anyone else. You're weak and afraid."  
  
"Get her outta here!" Jack demanded to the high council.  
  
The more Daniel tried to fire the gun, the more it trembled in his hand. Realizing he couldn't do it, he fled from the gate room.  
  
Jack raced after him into one of the corridors. "Daniel!!!"  
  
Daniel stopped, spun around and plunged the barrel of the gun into his mouth.  
  
Jack shivered inside at the possibility that brought back painful memories of his own attempted suicide. During the first mission on Abydos, Daniel helped him see things differently, and now he hoped he could do the same for his best friend.  
  
Again, Jack inched toward him. "Daniel, I know you're going through a lot of pain right now. Believe me, I understand. But...you can't do this. I don't wanna lose you, none of us here. Imika, don't forget what she did for you. Daniel, please!"  
  
Daniel tossed the gun onto the floor. He slammed his fists against his temples, screamed and plummeted on his knees.  
  
Jack wasted no time. He grabbed Daniel and wrapped his arms around him.  
  
Daniel belted out a choking cry while Jack held him tightly.  
  
Sam and Teal'c stood in the distance.  
  
Sam, unable to stop her tears, she let them flow down her rose--colored cheeks.  
  
Jack remained with his friend, holding him and whispered...  
  
"It's over, Daniel. It's over."  
  
***************************************************  
  
The End 


End file.
